After the comments about balls@jude, I had to wander down and have another look. Wandering in, I looked through their menu this time and decided on the Moroccan Lamb Ball Deal with Beetroot Salad and Chips. Armed with a glass of the house shiraz, to assist the balls on their way, and the obligatory vibrator, I waddled off to find a seat – not always easy in this establishment but being early I nabbed one inside, with a paper no less.

Happily (sort of) reading about Ms Gillard’s meteoric decent in public opinion on the back of double and triple tax initiatives, it was no time before I was vibrated and collected my balls. These were large nuggets of Moroccan yumminess (is that even a word?) that were perfectly cooked and served with a spectacular beetroot and almond salad. So immersed was I in balls and salad (and wine) and reading about political misfortune that, even at the extremely leisurely pace I had adopted, the meal was over before I knew it and I was waddling off back to work thinking “I’m in love with Jude’s balls!”.

Didn’t even notice the lack of chips, for which I had paid, until I was back down the pit at my desk. Ah well, I’ll get to those next time.

This restaurant is not the sort frequented by the Fatmen unless someone else is paying or, as in this case, it’s a very special occasion. It turns out that a wedding anniversary lunch booked by Mrs Fatman1 was a very special occasion.

From the moment we walked in the door, we were made to feel special. The wait staff were very attentive and, within minutes of arriving, we were seated and had a delightful little glass of Vichyssoise and some bread delivered to us to enjoy while we pondered the menu (a task that could take a while if one were to fully appreciate the 29 pages of the wine list).

Mrs Fatman1 decided on the Peking duck consommé with duck dumplings and asian mushrooms followed by the baked Barramundi fillet with baby fennel, saffron potato purée, and shellfish sauce. For this Fatman, the choice fell to the Kingfish sashimi served with spanner crab, avocado, harissa and a smoked tea seasoning followed by the orange scented slow braised beef with kale, buffalo labna and pistachios.

We waited maybe ten minutes for our entrees which were spectacular. The presentation of the sashimi bordered on an artwork and the flavours and textures were delicate and delightful. The consommé was rich and luxurious without being heavy.

There was a longer wait for the mains but the view of the river and delightful company, along with numerous offers of bread and drinks, made this time pass quickly. When whey arrived, the mains were spectacular. The beef had the tenderness only achievable with a long braise and the full flavour was beautifully complimented by the kale, labna and pistachios which added a crunchy counterpoint. Mrs Fatman1 was very happy with her barramundi and, from the small taste, this Fatman could see why.

We had opted for sides of truffle mash and steamed broccolini with chilli and garlic, both of which were perfect and immensely enjoyed – although both Mr and Mrs Fatman1, heathens that we be, prefer our mash with a little more texture (oh, the shame).

Altogether, this meal was the sort of thing you might expect from, say, a two chef’s hatted restaurant and, as a lunch “special”, was even within(ish) our budget for a special occasion. We were just about to leave having decided against overstuffing with dessert when a tray of petite fours sweets arrived with “Happy Anniversary” written across the plate in chocolate. Did I mention that they made us feel special?

This is a serious 3+ bibs establishment. You won’t get a quickie $10 special plate of noodles there but their lunch options are spectacular and great value for a special occasion.

Two FatMen walk into a Verve Cafe. One says to the other “I am feeling gluttonous”, The second says “I concur”. The punchline? 2 great little pizzas, a pizza bread and a bottle of wine.

As we waddled down a set of stairs into a noisy little dungeon (there were a lot of women down there, can’t help but be noisy) I knew I needed a decent feed and a few glasses of vino and that is what I got. Pretty reasonable at $26 pp including drinks.

We started with a pizza bread for $5.90 and a glass of red on an empty stomach. Both of these disappeared quicker than France’s hopes in the World Cup.

FM2 had the pumpkin and pinenut pizza in deference to MasterChef and their nut challenge (I was saddened to see that George didn’t come out as a eunich and reveal his nut sack under one of the coloshes). FM1 is a closet Italian and opted for the Italian pizza to try and shore up his cred.

These two little pizzas, whilst not enough to satisfy a FatMan, were great. Good, crusty base, nice flavours and delivered quickly. All washed down with a cheap bottle of red. Just the sort of run up start this FatMan needed on a Friday afternoon.